Council directs staff to seek forensic audit of Pecos Economic Development Corporation

The Pecos City Council directed city staff to begin a competitive procurement process to hire a firm to conduct a forensic audit of the Pecos Economic Development Corporation, with the PEDC to fund the audit's cost.

Council members discussed scope and vendor-selection safeguards. The chair said the audit's purpose is "to verify that public funds have been used for authorized and intended purposes" and to review procurement, contracts and compliance. Several members asked the RFP to include certified fraud examiners and CPAs; some members also said they preferred multiple firms be solicited to avoid perceived conflicts. The motion to initiate the procurement, with staff to prepare an RFP and to exclude a specific firm recommendation from the initial list, passed on an affirmative council vote.